Kava
Kava or kava kava is a plant in the pepper family, native to the Pacific Islands. The name kava is from Tongan and Marquesan, meaning 'bitter'. Kava can refer to either the plant or a psychoactive beverage made from its root. The beverage is a traditional ceremonial and recreational drink from Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Nakamals and kava bars exist in many countries.
Meaning & Origin of Kava
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kava or kava kava is a plant in the pepper family, native to the Pacific Islands. The name kava is from Tongan and Marquesan, meaning 'bitter'. Kava can refer to either the plant or a psychoactive beverage made from its root. The beverage is a traditional ceremonial and recreational drink from Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Nakamals and kava bars exist in many countries.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kava
Kava first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1969, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1969: 5 births, good for #7,472 nationwide. About 33% of every Kava on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. Kava last appeared in the published SSA data in 2020, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 15 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kava
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kava is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kava
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About the name Kava
Kava is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 15 births in the dataset. Kava's peak popularity came in 1969 when it ranked #7,472. Use the chart and map above to compare Kava's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1969 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.